Like The Stars
by MizVex
Summary: A tragic story of a Fallen star. In an ancient world where there are three levels of life,the humans,the Celestials,and the Constellati; the Conestellati and the Celestials fighting daily, what will happen to the Human Race? And can love save them?
1. The Celestials Beginings

**The Story of Nuit Night**

_**Oh brother of mine…**_

I must make clear my pains, how hard I work to keep peace in a land filled with disputes and disasters. My brother is the cause and my father reuses to assist me, and I have grown tired. I have tried to preserve the human race; the weak world of Earth from my brothers greed and destruction. But Jud wouldn't stop. He keeps tossing his fire balls back and forth in the sky, first destroying the race of Dinosaurs… then continued killing off the rest of the living creatures our father had created. The least I could do is keep this race alive; they had no protection, and with no knowledge of us and feared each destructive earthly movement that sent many to their deaths. They didn't know that each disaster was a direct result from my brother's hands and I believe they never will. I kept trying to protect them, but every time I tried, he kept breaking through my defense. I went to my father for guidance. He went to the rulers of the earth kingdoms to make a compromise. When my father came back to Cloud Castle with the news that Jud and I were to marry Lord Jour and Lady Lundi's twin daughters, I was dumb struck. I was practically engaged to some one I have never met, heard of, or seen in my whole life! It was ridiculous! I dreaded the day that soon came for me to pick a bride of two total strangers. Jud and I took the Ice staff and Fire staff and left on our chariots. He jumped silent onto his sun chariot and I on my moon chariot; and we drove off to the palace down on earth. Once there, we walked nobly into the palace and walked with guard escort to the throne room As I walked down the hall and entered the room…I didn't know what to expect, till I looked up and saw the two girls standing there with their heads down. I looked at them both, one caught my eye, and at the sight of the pale child in front of me; I was breathless.

**The words of Queen Luna**

_**To love the Night**_

My late father and mother wished Nuit and Jud would live in peace. They fought over everything, creating volcanic explosions when Jud got mad, the Ice age when Nuit tried to save the creatures of the earth. These two brothers were the god Epsilon's sons, the only gods that lived on earth.

My father was told through a dream by Epsilon that to create peace, he should give the two brothers choice of a bride of my sister and I. My mother walked my sister and I out of the back room into the grand hall. I remember it well, what I wore, how I felt; I wore a thin white dress that fell over my body and my old tattered slippers; they were my lucky slippers with stains and holes and ripped…my mother thought it foolish to wear such filthy things. I believed at the time that if one of the brothers wanted to marry me, he would like me for me, and not what was on my feet. My sister wore a sassy red two piece and sandals and ankle bracelets.

"I hope I get the Nuit… He's so handsome." she told me. I didn't respond. I didn't want to marry any one, I was only 14! I wanted to learn magic, learn alchemy; I wanted to run free on the clouds of my father's palace and fly on my beautiful cumulous cloud pet Calud. I wanted to sing in the darkness of my room and dance with my invisible love, and play in the grand gardens. I was so upset and felt so betrayed. My life was being torn from me with out my consent…and there was nothing I could do to stop it. I kept my head low as my mother introduced us.

"Your royal prince's," my mother said as she bowed. She snapped her elegant fingers to signal us to bow.

"Your majesties…" my sister and I crooned, I mouthed.

"Look up daughters." My mother commanded, and I had no choice but to obey. I looked up and saw the two men standing only feet in front of me. I almost gasped; the two princes's looked like they were only 18. I looked up at them, just like my sister and I… they were both twins yet totally different. The tallest had dark tanned skin and fire orange hair, and wore warm colors and held a staff of gold in his hand, on top of the staff was a ball of fire. His red eyes frightened, feeling as though he was burning me, searing me through. I looked away, only to find myself looking to the shorter twin, he had short black hair, his black eyes deep and dark and mysterious. I found my self being drawn to him. His light peach skin looked about as soft as mine his face handsome and shadowed. His eyes looked back to me in wonder as I stood up and clutched my hands together.

He wore ice-cold colors, blues, greens, and purples and silvers covered his elaborate armor and attire. He held a silver staff that had a ball of Ice floating above the top. He was gorgeous; he was…

"Beautiful…" we both said in unison. After finding out what we both uttered we both some how blushed. I looked to my side and tensed as he coughed lightly and tapped his staff on the ground.

"Lord Jour…Dearest Lady Lundi…are you sure on offering your two only children to the sons of Father time and Mother Nature?" the dark haired twin asked. I had looked up to him in curiosity and wonder as he spoke, his voice was beautiful…as beautiful as he was.

"Yes…to stop the deaths of my people, I'll do anything for the Sky Kings…"

"Prince's" The dark twin corrected.

"Right. Here are my two daughters, my eldest Luna… she sings and weaves and-"

"I don't need benefits." The dark twin stated kindly. "Names will do just well."

" And this is my youngest…"

"By a minute…" my sister uttered angrily.

" Aurora. She... They are at your whim. Prince Nuit…since you too are eldest…you get to pick first I guess." My father said. I didn't see the tears that fell from my parent's eyes. I just watched as the prince walked to me. He soon stood only a foot in front of me looking down into my eyes. I almost gasped when he lifted his hand to my cheek.

"Luna?" his voice a soft sigh. I looked up shyly at him as his hand caressed my cheek. I nodded.

"Yes sir…" I said. He smiled and shook his head.

"No Sir…just Nuit…" I was sure he could hear my heart pounding when he leaned forward and took my hand in his, kissed each finger. "You're beautiful," he said softly. I knew my sister was livid...this was the twin she had wanted...but now, I didn't want to give him up. "Luna...would you dear Luna…come to me to my castle in the clouds?" he asked, his voice kindly ringing in my ears. I gasped and went almost breathless. "So?"

"Yes…" I whispered. His eye lifted.

"What?" he asked hopefully.

"Yes." I said louder. I smiled as he leaned down and kissed my cheek. The other twin looked angrily at us and marched to my sister.

"You're mine." He said. My sister looked shocked and pissed my way as Nuit took my hand in his and placed my hand on his ice staff, and the ice ball started glowing, the symbol of marriage.

"Palte de guana, my dear child." My father said as he smiled, seeing how happy I was. I was my parent's favorite, and Aurora knew it when she saw our parents welcome Nuit into the family and congratulate me. Aurora stood by Jud as they leaned against the wall and crossed their arms.

I turned to my sister, I was happy...only Jud tapped her shoulder and said something I couldn't here. Aurora nodded as she turned with him and took hold of his staff, the flames on the top of the staff flared and they walked away and disappeared on a chariot driven by flames and horses whose mane's are of red flame licking at their backs. And since then I haven't seen my loving sister again.

Nuit and I were so happy, we lived in his Castle in the clouds of the night sky while my sister and her husband lived in the Flame fortress over on the eastern lands. It wasn't long till we had our first child, Evening, a girl.

"Nuit… didn't you want a son? To take the throne?" I had asked.

"My love, any child with you is a joy to me," he had said as he kissed me. "And I'll love you with our with out a son." Evening wasn't the last child. When she was ten I had another child, Midnight, our first son. Evening, who's pet name was Eve, and Midnight, Minui, were the best of friends, and when Eve was eleven and Minui one, I had another son, Dusk, making Dusk and Minui Irish twins, and three years later I had two beautiful twin sons…Perseus and Orion. The only thing that was strange about my twins was that Perseus had white hair and Orion had black hair, they seemed to be totally different children. So now my children consisted of Eve, eighteen, Minui, fourteen, Dusk, thirteen, then the twins were eleven.

My sister wrote a lot, she told me the day before Orion and Perseus's birthday of her children, The eldest was Dawn, being seventeen, then Morning who was fifteen, and Noon who was fourteen, and her youngest, the fiery red head Cornelio, who was also eleven; I congratulated her on her children. But all where girls other then Cornelio and something seemed wrong with her son considering Jud didn't like him and Jud said Cornelio wouldn't be a good heir.

After the twins celebrated their eleventh birthday, Nuit and I had an unexpected visit from my sister. She was crying and had started sobbing at the sight of us. She begged us to save her from her husband who was going to beat her if she didn't produce a new male heir. I instantly ran to the chells, I called my father. He didn't answer, my mother did, and she was hysterical a swell. My father was dyeing, from poison inserted into his drink at a banquet last night. At hearing that, Aurora cried out even louder.

"It was Jud! He said he wanted our father's palace! We were at the banquet!" she cried in agony. I ran to Nuit and begged him to do something. He said he would go see his father for a remedy to save my father and to talk to him about Jud. And he left me with my sobbing sister and mother on the chell.

After my mother hung up and my sister made a temporary residence in my guestroom and fell asleep, I sat up late into the night and waited for Nuit to return from 'work' and talking with his father. When Nuit returned from speaking with his father, he entered the room I sat in and looked to me sullen. I stood quickly from the chair that I sat in, horror to evident in my face to hide it.

"Luna…I'm sorry." Was all he could say before he let his head hang low. I gasped, my hands flying to my lips.

"No…" I muttered. "No it can…"

"Jud was as cruel as he was terminal…"Nuit said, I didn't know if he was trying to make me feel batter, but it didn't work.

"No…. No!" I started sobbing, falling to my knees with my head in my hands. Nuit had quickly ran to me and took me in his arms to comfort me. "Father!" I sobbed so much, I didn't hear my sister walk into the room from her sleep, to sad to see her standing In the door way, to horrified to see her lean on the frame and smile smugly. I couldn't believe father was gone. And when I looked up, my sister was standing white faced as she to fell to the floor, an act my husband saw through.

"Father? Jud did this! I know it! And it's all my fault, all my fault! I can't believe…. No!" she sobbed as she cried on the ground. I wanted to go over and comfort her for our loss, but Nuit wouldn't let me. He had leaned into my neck and kissed my neck. Holding me tightly

"My love…" he whispered, so quietly that I barley heard it. "I spoke with my father, he told me something more sorrowful. Come with me to our chambers." He finished. I couldn't stand something worse? Was one of our children in danger from this same assassin? What was to become of this? I found myself in my husband's arms, holding my close as to not drop me. He looked down at my sister and told her to go to bed, to leave us to sleep over the sorrow. Aurora had asked if Nuit would return to help her, for her legs hurt. And to my shock, Nuit said no.

"My dear sister –in-law, I have to care for my sick wife. I'll send Eve or one of the Whisps to help you," he said. "I'll see you in the morning"

I almost shouted in protest as Nuit left my sister on the ground, till that is I saw her face as he walked away with me in his arms. Her eyes were yes, filled with tears, but I saw the most hateful, scornful, jealous glare that burned me with the fires of her being. She stood slowly and rigidly as we disappeared around the corner.

"Nuit…" I was going to ask what had happened, only to have his mouth silence me. When he broke away, I was again breathless.

"Shh, please silence, till we are out of ear shot," he whispered. I nodded and leaned my head against his shoulder. We had been married for over twenty years and I trusted everything he said. When we had finally gotten to our room, and closed the door, Nuit placed me on the bed and sat next to me. "We are safe now…" he uttered. Waving his hand to the door, sound proofing it with ice, so any eavesdropper would hear nothing.

"Nuit…my sister, her face…she looked as if she knew…"

"She did, she has been planing to take your fathers castle for a while now, and only my brother had the guts to commit the crime."

"No…" I gasped. I couldn't believe my sister…my silly sister could do such a thing. And I cried.

The next day, my father-in-law and Nuit met with Jud to make a compromise. When Nuit returned; my sons and Eve were standing with me in our palace door. Nuit walked up to me and looked to Orion. I wanted to know why he looked so sad.

"My father, Jud and I agreed to place an Astra on the earth, a fallen star to walk among the humans; and that one of our children would go and woo her. Who ever she chooses, would gain complete ownership of the sky," He said. "There are rules…the Astra must remain alive for more then a year after choosing, and Jud and our son's must remain alive. Knowing Jud, death might be an option that I hope to avoid…" I tried to hold in my tears; he had looked to Orion, my quiet little Orion.

"Don't tell me he chose the children…." I was almost frightened. I wasn't going to let Orion, only eleven, to wander earth alone. "Don't tell me he chose…"

"It wouldn't hurt our child, they'll have celestial being that might get bruised."

"Nuit! Don't tell me he picked the children!" I cried. Nuit walked up to me and took my face in his hands. He wiped some of my tears from my eyes, sadly gazing into them.

"He picked Orion and Cornelio." Nuit said. Orion stood silently, while Eve went and hugged her brother. "Orion, you'll have to woo the Astra…and stay alone on the earth with the humans for as long as it takes to do that."

"But Nuit! He's only eleven!" I cried as I ran to my son and took his shoulders in my hands.

"He wouldn't be send down till he's twenty. Father made that rule; he wanted it to be fair. He also has to let the Astra…. Um 'ripen'," Nuit bent over and knelt in front of Orion. "My son, do you understand what that means?"

"Yes father. That I'm supposed to marry this Astra." He responded. "Right mother?"

"Yes. And you'll live on earth for as long as that takes." I said. "You wouldn't see us for a long time…"

"But that wouldn't be for a while. You have a while with us…till then." Nuit said. He kissed all of his children and sent them to bed, other then Orion.

"Father…why do I have to marry her?" the child asked. Nuit bent and looked into my son's eyes.

"Many innocent people are dyeing at your uncle's recklessness…" Nuit said, I wiped tears from my eyes as I continued to cry. Orion looked so confused, so obediently paying attention. He had no idea. "We have no other choice…"

"Yes Father…" Orion hugged Nuit and was sent to bed, only after my husband held Orion tightly. "Good night" Orion trotted over to me and hugged me. I kissed his forehead and held him tightly. "Night mum,"

"Night my baby." I said and let him slip through my fingers and run off to bed. Nuit stood behind me and took my hand. I turned and buried my face in his chest and cried.

"Shh…" he cooed and kissed my face. "It'll be alright…" I nodded and turned and let him lead me back to our room. I couldn't think of my little baby, Orion, down on earth. How dangerous it was, and that wasn't with Cornelio and Jud planning Orion's death. How could I just let him go like that? I couldn't, I couldn't think of it. Are we not gods? Can we not just settle this with strength instead of useless words? But Nuit was a just man, he knew what he was doing, but still Orion would be left alone in that other world. Didn't we have the power to protect him? When Nuit and I arrived in our room, before he opened the door, he took me in his arms once again and held me, and let me cry softly.

"My father…wouldn't want this game of royalties…. To think, that we would be competing for such things…that his death led to this…a tug on a poor woman's heart"

"Shh. Nothing will go wrong. I promise." I didn't believe him.

"Orion's my baby, I don't want him in danger," I cried. Nuit held me tighter.

"I know, I don't want Orion down there either…but my father's word is law, I am so sorry," he said. He kissed me and led me into our room. After that night, we never mentioned the compromise again.

Then…Orion turned 19. My life went upside down once again.


	2. Constellati Children of Fate: Orion

**Orion's Story: The Descent**

I am the youngest of 5 children, children of the god and mortal goddess of the night, Lord King Nuit Night and Goddess Queen Luna Diana. My father and my uncle, Jud Day, fought over the sky and earth constantly. When my uncle killed my mother's parents, my remaining grandfather, King Epsilion, decided to make a compromise with my mad uncle. He said to stop the war he would place an Astra, a fallen star, on earth to make the decision for us. He proposed that the Astra would chose which side would own the sky, and one child of my uncle's and my father's would be sent down to earth to attempt to woo her, I was the one chosen.

When I turned 19, I was tossed down to earth to Athens, Greece quicker then I could protest. Once on earth I found that Cornelio had adopted the name Apollo, and was almost instantly named a god. He lived a life of luxury while I was left alone to fend for myself. I lived alone and hungry as one of the poor for a year before I decided to do something. I was only 20, with absolutely no talents, and I was forced to pick up a trade. I learned metalworking. Not too long afterwords I became an apprentice, I opened my own Smithy shop. I worked over the burning flame and hammered pieces of molting metal into lethal weapons. My specialties were fighting swords and arrows that the nobles would request at high rates. I made a good living, and I liked the feeling of taking my life into my own hands. Apollo soon left Athens to live in Troy at his newly built temple, while I remained in Athens and lived my life as it was, and I lived there in Athens three more years before I met the pre-picked Astra, Astra Artemis.

**The First Astra**

Artemis was beautiful; from her ivory skin, dark brown eyes, dark blond hair, all the way down to her wonderful personality. She was smart, witty, and graceful; she was perfect and everyone loved her. It took Apollo a year to return from Troy to find Artemis, and he instantly attempted to win Artemis' heart, and grew quite close to her. They became inseparable, like brother and sister, and where she went he went. And despite my parents prodding, I didn't woo Artemis. One rainy day about a year after Artemis arrived, in walked a hooded woman soaked to the bone. I stopped working on _Twigh _and wiped my brow of sweat.

"Smithy, I need some assistance," her voice was like music to my ears, and I didn't look up at her until I had placed _Twigh_, my most recent project, on the pegs on the wall. "I wonder if you do custom orders?"

"Depends on how custom," I answered, still not looking at her.

" I need 50 arrows for the hunting contest. Do you know the one? It's in a weeks time," she said as she walked farther into my smithy.

"Yes, I know the one. I am in it too, " I answered. I looked from the wall to the woman and almost lost my breath as her beautiful ivory hand gracefully pulled her damp hood from her head. As her dark blond hair curled and tumbled down her back, I knew instantly it was Artemis. I looked around her, to see if my cousin was right behind her, and I was surprised that he wasn't. I had recently heard that Artemis had joined Apollo and had been named a goddess. For a girl so filled with beauty and wisdom, there was no other explanation for her perfection. I had heard, she became the virgin huntress of the moon.

"How may I be of service, my goddess?" I asked as I bowed. I looked up and watched as she rolled her eyes and walked to me. No, she didn't walk; she floated.

"It's Orion, right?" she asked kindly as she looked at me, a slight hint of wonder filled her eyes. I couldn't speak, I only nodded. She smiled as she took a crumbled wet piece of paper from her cloak and handed it to me "Again, I need 50 arrows of this design in a weeks time," she said, "Can you handle it?" I looked over the print, true it was an elaborate design, but I knew I could handle it.

"Sure I can handle it," I looked it over again, and I noticed the designs had slight flaws, most that would slow the arrow, others would make it fly on a slight curve. At first I thought that maybe I should fix them. "I'll be sure not to faulty them for you," I said in a pleasingly calm manner as I looked up into her gaze. She was so beautiful, and with each beat of my heart I felt the adoration that was born in me grow; I was so afraid she would see it in my eyes with her deep gaze.

She smiled softly, "Best not anger the goddess, smithy," she said amused and I watched as she floated out my door. I stood there, confused at the way I wanted to show off, and I quickly went to work on her arrows. I tweaked them, made them quicker, stronger; accurate…I made them perfect.

In a weeks' time I had finished 50 of them as promised, and I waited eagerly in my smithy for Artemis to collect them. I tried to occupy myself with small tasks, but nothing could distract me long enough. Finally she arrived, and she inspected each of the arrows carefully. I noticed each small smile when she saw my little improvements. I waited for her to speak, only to smile when she scoffed politely.

"My dear, Orion, you obviously wish me to win," She smiled as she placed the perfect arrows in her pack. I had never been so proud of myself in my life. "How am I to pay you? How much?" she asked as she searched for her purse in her tunic. I realized then that I didn't want her money; I loved her, and I wanted her love in return. As she offered me prices, relatively high ones, I had a better idea.

"My goddess, take them as a gift, from a humble admirer," I said with a bow.

"Why, how kind of you, thank you, Orion," she said with a small laugh. I stood and watched as she turned to leave, but my heart almost stopped beating as I watched her turn.

"By the way, just call me Artemis, " she said softly. "I'll see you at the contest," and as she had before, she floated from my smithy and out the door. I gazed at her in admiration as I let my heart slow back to its normal beat from its elevated state. I loved her, and that terrified me. She became my one weakness.

The next day was the contest, and before it began, Artemis tapped my shoulder with her beautiful hand and said softly "Orion, good luck"

"Don't be sore if I beat you, Goddess," I said with a smile. She went to answer but Apollo wedged between us and lightly kissed her. I watched her face twist in slight discomfort.

"Good luck," he said, she looked at him with a weak smile. I noticed the tension between them flare, and before I could mention anything, the horn blared to begin the contest; in the end, after all our work, and every dodge and shot, Artemis and I tied.

"There is no prize for ties," The judge said. I watched Artemis' face fall as she walked to the prize, a beautiful new horse. I didn't need a horse, and by the looks of Artemis' disappointment, I knew what I had to do. I walked up to the judge and whispered in his ear.

"Judge," I started.

"Yes, Orion?" he asked weakly. "Please don't make this hard on me,"

"I forfeit," I said. The judge looked at me confused, then to Artemis and watched her affectionately hug and pet the horse.

"Well, if that's what you want," he said, "Are you sure?" I nodded, and with a sigh of relief the Judge smiled.

"Thanks Judge," I said softly, and I started off the field. And as I left, I heard the judge call out my choice.

"Orion chose to forfeit. Artemis you win the contest, the horse is yours," I turned around for one moment to look back at the scene I left behind, only to see Artemis. She was happily petting the horse, looking about her to find me. She was quickly surrounded by her worshipers, and in the last few moments that I saw her face; her eyes locked on mine, and she gave me a soft smile and mouthed the words 'Thank You'.

Later that night I was finishing my sword _Twigh_ in my smithy, another late night, when my door opened. I looked up and almost dropped _Twigh _in the flameswhen Artemis walked in and sat down at my dinner table. I burned myself as I went to put my sword down and wipe my hands on my apron. I slowly walked toward her, her expression was unreadable, and all I could do was guess.

"May I help you, Goddess?" I said with a quick bow. I couldn't believe my voice was so calm while my heart beat so fast. She gave her soft half smile as she looked up at me from under her light blue cloak. "Do you want me to take your cloak?"

"I came by to thank you, Orion," She said. "You left before I could thank you properly,"

"You're welcome, Goddess," I answered as I went to my water pot and splashed water in my face.

"It's Artemis," She corrected. I turned to look at her. "Please call me Artemis," She stood and started toward me. "No one has done such a nice thing for me before," I started to get nervous and started to babble.

"You get weekly offerings and ceremonies…you are going to get a temple like Athena's, surely a horse isn't that important.

"Orion, they do that because they want me to do things for them, they want immortality, they pray to me only to get what I can't give them," she now stood a food in front of me, " they do those things because they fear me, because they are supposed to. They may say I am a goddess, but I am no more immortal then you are," she said. I had thought that ironic, for here I was a god on earth, while this girl was merely a human given the title, and she spoke to me as if it where the other way around. But when she looked down at the dagger on my table, I slowly hesitated. I couldn't tell what she was thinking, was she going to do something terrible.

"Goddess-"

"Watch," she interrupted as her expression became once again unreadable, and she slowly took a dagger from my dinner table. I flinched to get the dagger back, only to watched confused as she simply sliced her finger. The blood from the slice slowly dripped from the wound, "You see?" I held my breath as she looked down at her finger. The smell of blood filled my lungs, it was strange to still have that power, yet my godly ability to remain calm while a woman stood near me was gone with the grains of sand in the hour glass.

"What do you want me to see?" I forced; she lifted her finger to me.

"I am bleeding. No immortal, no goddess bleeds," she stated. I knew full well that we gods could bleed, but she had a point. Here on Earth, Gods are Gods, Humans are Humans, and if they are different, then a god must be everything a human is not. Which means if humans bleed, the gods don't? I slowly took her hand in mine.

"Here, Artemis. If you leave it like that it could get infected," I said as I ripped a piece of cloth from the clean clothes on the table. "Stay still, I'll wrap it. It should feel better in a little," I told her as I tied the small cloth around her finger. She only gazed up at me, and I couldn't help but gaze back. "What?" I stammered.

"I was just wondering, why have I never seen you before?" she asked.

"I am not that much of a man to remember," I answered with a shrug, but I knew the real reason. Apollo wanted to keep Artemis as far away from me as possible. Her eyes smiled when her lips could not, I was trapped, and I couldn't look away.

"No, it's not that. You're an amazingly talented man, you're nice and…you're beautiful," she sighed as her now bandaged hand slowly caressed my cheek.

"What?" here I was all sweaty and smelly and Artemis, the beautiful nymph, called me beautiful. I faltered. "I…ah, I'm a man, a man can't be beautiful," She laughed softly as she smiled her beautiful smile, her fingers tracing paths down my neck as her hand landed lightly on my shoulder.

"Well then, you're handsome," she looked into my eyes, a sudden seriousness in her face. "How could I have missed your beautiful blue eyes?" She blushed lightly and coughed awkwardly as she took her hand and flexed her wrapped finger.

"My eyes?" I tried to keep my voice calm, to control myself, while I only wanted to take her in my arms. She looked at me in awe, as I grew bolder and took a step closer to her. I now loomed over her, and we were inches apart. "You're eyes enchanted me the first time I saw you," She smiled as she gently placed her hands on my chest, as if to push me away, but she paused and let them brush against my skin. My heart was pounding so fast I knew she could hear it; and with her hands on my chest, I knew she could feel it too. It was all I wanted, Artemis in my arms, and she let her arms snake around my neck. Her fingers laced in my hair, my arms wrapped about her waist, I looked down at her in my arms; how had we gotten here. She brushed her nose against mine, her skin smelled like olive blossoms, and we stood there barely rocking back and forth in each others arms. Finally Artemis kissed my chin and broke the awkward silence.

"Orion," she whispered into my ear. "I want you to kiss me," I hesitated, I was afraid just how much I wanted her, wanted to kiss her, and the fact that Apollo would stop at nothing to kill me if I did frightened me even more.

"Artemis, I really want to, but Apollo,"

"Forget about him, he's nothing to me," she answered her voice low and breathy. I didn't kiss her, at least until she reached up toward me and bit my lower lip, by then I had lost control and took her lips with mine.


	3. Orion: The Heartache

**The Heartache**

After that night, Artemis and I were inseparable. I had replaced my cousin's spot at her side. Now, Apollo wasn't happy when he saw how close Artemis and I had become. Artemis had grown uncomfortable around my pushy cousin, and it destroyed their relationship; at least that was how Artemis explained it to me. And in his anger, Apollo left again for Troy. Now a few months into our relationship, I took Artemis in a boat on the beautiful waters, and there I asked her to marry me.

"Yes!" she cried as I took her joyfully in my arms "Yes I will!" It was the happiest night of my life. The wedding was planned for the next week, but I had been called to the city of Ephesus to use my skills in building Artemis' new temple. I had kissed her good bye, got on the boat and left reluctantly.

It was only to be a weeklong trip, four days at sea and five days to work on the temple. But a storm blew the shipway off course, and it took many days to get back on track and finally arrive. When we did arrive, the supplies I needed weren't there, which delayed us even longer. I ended up staying in the city for three weeks longer then I had intended. I sent Artemis letters each day, giving her detailed notes about the delays and the progress, and at the end of each letter, I told her how much I loved her and how much I wanted to be with her. In the three weeks I was away, I had gotten no letters back.

I was easily worried, but I forced myself to believe that there was a delay in the letters for some understandable reason. Maybe the ship that held my notes went down or got lost at sea like mine had. I hoped that it wasn't a terminal illness that held my love captive from holding a pen; that she was in complete health. After my time in Ephesus was up, I quickly jumped on Pegasus, sprouted his wings when no one was in sight, and flew quickly off to Athens; arriving a week before the ship docked in port. When I arrived, I looked to the villagers who walked past, asking if they'd seen Artemis. I was confused when each woman, mother and man quickly darted from me. This welcome didn't ease my fears, and I quickly rode home.

I stabled Pegasus and ran inside to look for Artemis, and think of my surprise when I saw Apollo sitting in my chair I walked cautiously toward my cousin and looked around for Artemis, "Oh, my cousin Orion. You're finally home!" Apollo stated, his face wrinkled up into a smile. I ran up to him and pulled him up by the collar of his shirt.

"Where is Artem-"

"She's at the river," he stated flatly. I was so afraid, to blind to see the signs of the opening doom. I dropped Apollo and quickly ran for the Eridanus River bank. I called out her name when I searched the shore; I couldn't find her, my heart beat quickly as I suddenly felt two hands quickly cover my eyes.

"Thank god! I was looking all over for you!" I cried out with a sigh of relief. But when I heard the giggle, I was overcome with fear. I turned and looked into the eyes of a complete stranger. Only when I looked deeper into the eyes of the amused girl did I recognize her. It was my cousin Virgo, Apollo's sister. Why was she here? Where was Artemis? "Virgo?" I was caught completely by surprise when she took my face in her grasp and pressed her lips against mine.

"Orion!" someone cried, and as if on cue, Virgo pulled away and slapped me as she quickly ran to a couple that hid in the bushes only feet away. I cried in horror to see with her bow and arrow aimed at me, my dear Artemis. Apollo stood only inches away holding the now dramatically crying Virgo, almost instantly I understood just how much trouble I was in. Apollo had framed me!

"Artemis! It's not what it looks like! Please, you have to believe me!" I cried desperately "It's Apollo he's-"

"Orion, how could you lie to me?" she shouted. I saw a beautiful, icy blue tears fall down her cheek.

"Artemis, just listen, Apollo is trying to turn you against me, please-" I pleaded.

"Not another word!" Artemis commanded. I prayed to my mother and father that Artemis would listen, would believe me. I started to take slow small steps toward Artemis, "Please, you have to believe me,"

"Don't come any closer!" she threatened as she tightened her hold on the bow. I paused, this couldn't be happening, I thought over and over again, this couldn't be happening.

"Orion, you can't fool us, we watched you follow Virginia into the wood to the river. We know about everything, there is no where you can hide," Apollo stated with a small grin, Virgo had obviously changed her name to Virginia, my mind was racing. "You can't lie any longer,"

"What are you talking about? I went after Artemis!" I cried "Please, Artemis! You have to believe me! I love you!"

"You love me?" I watched her slowly soften, I saw her falter; but Apollo placed a hand on her shoulder and her expression quickly changed. I wouldn't let him win; I wasn't going to lose her.

"I know you love me, too, please don't do this Artemis!" I pleaded. "Put the bow and arrow down, and let's talk," She quickly bats her eyes of tears and glared down at me.

"There will be no talks, and I won't fall for your games. You love me? I never loved you! Never did," she said, I saw the tears, I knew she was trying to convince herself to do it; I saw the strong hold on her arrow, the tension in the bow…she was going to kill me. "I'll never fell for your trap, never again," she cried, her bow started to shake as she began to sob, the arrow bounced.

"No, Artemis, my love. Please, don't say that, I… I love you," I pleaded. She shook her head.

"I wont fall for your tricks any more, I can't," She cried. "I can't take it," The amusement, the glee in Apollo's eyes, and the now equally amused Virginia, set my face aflame. I wanted to wring their necks, but Artemis was more important right now.

"Don't give me your lies! Into the water! Now!" she ordered. I tried, I couldn't hold back the tears, and I found myself stepping back into the frigid river. She got me waist deep as she stood on the shore, her feet being washed by the waves.

"Artemis…please don't do this," I pleaded. But she was stone still.

"That is 'Goddess' to you," she said. "You've angered the gods and destroyed the faith I had in you, now you must die. Go drown, Orion!" she cried. She let go of the arrow, one of the beautiful arrows I had made her so long ago. The next thing I knew, I felt the pain of my heart stopping as the arrow hit me, the loss of consciousness.

I woke up in my room in Cloud Castle, with my mother tending my chest wound. "Good, you're awake…" she said, I saw her saddened face. I turned away and tried to fall asleep. But once my eyes shut, I saw Artemis' angered and pained eyes staring down at me as she let the arrow soar through the air. "I thought you would be out longer then two days…" my mother continued. "With a blow like that to your celestial being…you could have taken far more damage than what you got. Thank god your brother Perseus saw the whole thing; your father took you from your earthly body before you fully died. I have been taking care of you for days-," my mother continued, but I wasn't listening.

"I loved her," I said softly. My mother paused.

"Excuse me dear?"

"I loved her, and she was only playing with me…Apollo framed me, she killed me…I loved her…" My mother quickly scooped me up as if I were a child, and I guess acted like one.

"My poor baby…" And I started crying once again. She didn't tell me to stop, she didn't tell me not to cry she didn't say anything, she just let me cry.

"I'll never love again," I forced, Artemis was my everything, I would never find another girl like her. The next day my grandfather visited me, I wanted to hit him when he told me he wouldn't stop with one Astra, he said he'd keep re incarnating her. I think he just wanted to torture me, but he said he just wanted to keep Jud from destroying things.

I found out later that Apollo had taken all my letters to Artemis and burned them, forging new letters to Virginia and giving them to Artemis, making it seem as if I were attempting an affair with Virginia, who was truly Virgo; not on the trip to Epheus as I had told her. Apollo had planned everything so neatly that I couldn't see what was going on. I also found out that later that week, after Artemis discovered that Apollo planned the whole thing and framed me, she was mortified. She had gone to Apollo's temple, found him alone and stabbed him to death. Covered in blood and filled with despair, she cried up to the heavens that she did love me, and she loved me so much that she jumped into the same river. I had to watch tormented as she drowned from the metal weights on her ankles, and there was nothing I could do to stop her.

Artemis had drowned herself thinking that she would join me in the afterlife, but she didn't know her soul would be caught by my grandfather and stored in a jar only to be reborn over and over again. And she didn't know that my grandfather wouldn't stop until the perfect world he planned out came to be. Her temple was finished but no one saw her again, and she became only a myth goddess. Due to the damage I had taken, I became a constellation demi-god. My grandfather couldn't heal my celestial being enough to bring me back to my higher god status; but I didn't care…I just wanted to take one of my grandfather's _Mortalias Potion's_ and die. Once I had walked to my grandfather's study, and I saw Artemis' sleeping soul in my grandfather's soul-catcher-jar on his shelf. I would sneak into his study just to watch her float around in the small space, talk to her, cry, and I would have freed her if I had thought it possible. I knew that each time I tried my grandfather would only capture her again and scold me. Either way I knew the painful fact about Artemis and I…

We were never going to be happy.


	4. Perseus: Princess of Distress

**Perseus Story**

I have loved my brother all my life. We are practically the same being, created from the same egg, developed in the womb at the same time, and were born the same day. I was a few seconds older, but he didn't mind. When our grandfather instructed that Orion was to be the fate of us all, to woo the fallen star…I was at first angry and jealous. I had wanted to risk my all for my family, to protect our kingdom, to marry a beautiful maiden. I had followed Orion to his lessons, learned everything he had to learn. I had the right to, I mean I was the same person as he was! We had different hair, different eyes, and different abilities…but we were the same person.

Anyway, I had tried to keep my brother protected, he was so fragile…so innocent. And when we were 19, I was willing to jump down to earth to woo the Astra; only Orion was tossed before I could say my piece. I watched each day, as my brother's life progressed, and each day I wanted to call down to him and warn him about Cornelio. Each day I bit my fingers and tossed thunder at the suspense of Cornelio's evil plan. And when it finally unraveled…I called my father as fast as I could. And it wasn't too late; my father pulled Orion up from his physical body, the moment the arrow hit, causing minimal damage to his celestial being.

When I saw my brother on his sick bed, my mother tending to his wounds…. I was devastated. I went to my father, begging him to give me something to help. And just as my father turned to refuse, one of the Whisps arrived with news that one of Jud's messengers was still on earth, and had gone to Athens and wreaked havoc. I begged my father to let me go, and finally, he agreed. He told me that the messenger informed the King and Queen that they had to sacrifice their daughter to appease the gods.

"But why would the 'gods' be angry?" I asked my father.

"The messenger said that the gods were angry that they had to take Artemis back to Olympia." My father informed. I was about to ask why he didn't ask Orion to do the deed, then it struck me that even if he wanted to, Orion was in no condition to leave the palace. He was isolated, inward and quiet. It had been more than twenty times that I saw him sneak into Grandfather Espilion's study to _talk_ to the Astra's soul. As strange as it was, he still thought she could hear him. I was the only one able and ready to do this job. But instead of being excited and powerful, like I would have been, I was scared.

"I'll go father," I said softly, and my father nodded, he gave me a horse named Pegasus to take me down to earth, and gave the horse wings. It was a beautiful warhorse that my father had raised from an infant. "Take care of Perseus," My father said the horse. And handing me the reins…he said to me, "Take care son." And I was on my way.

I jumped on Pegasus and flew down to earth, landing a few miles out of the city. Pegasus withdrew his wings and trotted into the town. When we entered the gates, the city was in turmoil. Fire was licking at a near by inn and a woman and children were crying and screaming. I jumped off of Pegasus and ran into the flames; it was all too late that I remembered I didn't have any of my god like powers. I was burned from the flames, but the sounds of the woman and children in the top room screaming edged me on. When I finally got to the room, I knocked down the door to find in the flames, a woman holding two passed out children. Her veil covered her ivory face as she looked up to me in shock.

"Don't worry I've come to help you!" I called over the crackling of the flames. The woman stood quickly and ran to me, the infant strapped to her chest and the toddler held tightly in her arms. Closer now, I noted that the woman was too young to be the mother of the two children. I was about to ask, when a falling beam fell behind me, blocking the exit. The woman screamed. I looked around quickly, flames licking my feet, and saw the window. "Come with me!" I said quickly and took the woman's hand in mine and dragged her to the window. I took her tightly in my arms, holding the two children close to me and sandwiched between us, and jumped out the window. As we fell from the falling building, I called to my father and begged him to help me land safely from the two floor window. And to my astonishment…I landed on my feet like a cat, the woman in my arms and the children safe.

"He's our Hero!" an elderly woman cried from the crowd that had gathered. Pegasus trotted over to me and looked to the infants. The baby's mother ran from the crowed and took the baby from the woman in my arms.

"Thank you! Thank you!" she cried. I let the woman from the fire down and she in turn put the toddler down. He woke up and instantly ran to his father a few feet away. The woman pulled her burned veil from her face and her white blond hair tumbled from her head, and her black eyes looked angry up at me. I was shocked when she stepped toward me and slapped me.

"Why did you do that!" she cried. I was frankly…rather confused, but was finding it hard to breathe. Her rouged lips spoke, but I heard no words, her ivory skin reflected the flawlessness of her complexion, and her raven eyes flooded me with darkness. I was in love. "Answer me you louse!" she called out to me, waking me from my trance. "Why did you save me!"

"I thought you wanted to be saved…you ran to me when in there…" I pointed to the now dyeing flames. "Was that not what you wanted?"

"No! I wanted to die! I went to give you the children! Why else would someone like me jump into the flames to save children!"

"You were going to commit suicide when two infant's lives were at stake!" I cried. "What kind of girl are you!" I practically shouted into her face.

"You watch what you say young man!" the toddlers father said in anger. "You have no right to say that!"

"Why she risked you son's life!"

"Do you know whom you're talking to?" the woman asked as she placed her dainty hands on her hips. I in turn crossed my arms and smiled smugly.

"No, please tell me"

"You're speaking to Andromeda…princess of Athens!" the infant's mother said as she fell to her knees in front to Andromeda. She kissed the princesses feet and thanked her. Andromeda only knelt to the woman's level and kissed the infant's head.

"It's alright, I've got less time on this earth then you…Live your life well." She said and handed the woman the amulet around her neck. "Trade this for money for food. Your child looks like skin and bones." And with that, I watched in amazement as she stood and took her belt from her waist and broke it to the small ringlets it was originally built as and handed each ringlet to the man and his son. "You too," I watched in shock as she then took off her ring and handed it to the elderly woman. "Live on my people, though I'm not with you, keep Athens alive." And she jumped onto the black horse with golden armor and rode off to the palace on the top of the hill. I shook my head and watched the crowd start to sob as she left. I walked to one of them and asked.

"Why are you so sad?"

"She is to be sacrificed at the end of the week…" the elderly woman said. I was mortified. The princess was to be sacrificed to the beast? I then remembered that was exactly the story my father had told me; the whole fire event caused me to forget the reason I was down on earth. I couldn't listen to the rest of the story; I jumped onto Pegasus and rode quickly after her. I found her riding quickly on her horse down the roads to the shore town of Peireaias. I was tempted to command Pegasus to sprout his wings, but my father told me to restrain from that action. She soon disappeared on the trail. I quickened Pegasus, but we were to slow. Pegasus didn't need me to tell him, he quickly jumped up, sprouted his wings and felt above the earth to find her.

I finally found her on the outskirts of the town on one of the remote beaches. She was standing beside the water, the waves crashing against her legs. She pulled her skirt up and slowly started into the water. I watched as she walked in, and it was then I noticed the weights on her ankles. She was waist deep in water when I reached the beach. By the time I was in the water, she was shoulder deep. I quickly swam in after her and got to her moments after her head sank below the waves. I took her in my arms and pulled her to the surface of the water. I had no idea how and why these Greek women felt the need to drown themselves with weights about their ankles. Just as the Astra did.

Andromeda choked and coughed up water as I swam back to shore, and when finally my foot landed on the damp sand, and gently tossed her to the beach beside me. She lay on her back coughing as I kneeled besides her breathing heavily. She turned on her side and looked up at me, a mix of anger and thanks filled her beautiful eyes.

"Why are you so stupid?" I asked breathless. She pushed herself up to a sitting position and quickly lifted her hand to strike me. But before her hand hit my cheek I caught her wrist in my grasp. I made sure to be gentle with her; she seemed so fragile, as if she could break with little effort. She sat and looked at me amazed for a moment, silence only being interrupted by the crashing waves beside us. She opened her mouth to speak, stutters escaping her lips.

"You… you again!" she said, she ripped her hand from mine and looked me in the eyes. Regretfully she gained her senses again and she angrily started shouting. "You're just a fool; can't you tell when someone doesn't want to be saved?"

"Why are you being sacrificed?" I asked, I couldn't see why, this woman, this beautiful woman, the sole heir to the throne…would have to be sacrificed. What was Jud thinking! Why kill her? This woman…whom I had fallen practically head over heels for in just one glance.

"You are rather blunt,"

"Tell me"

"Goddess Artemis was taken back to Mt. Olympus. And now the Gods are angry." It was the same reason my father gave me. But I couldn't understand how this girl could believe it…and be so calm and willing to die.

"Why aren't you doing anything about this?" I asked her.

"About what?"

"You being sacrificed!"

"What do you expect me to do?" was her response. She slowly stood, her tunic falling strait from the heavy dampness from the sea. She started to take the weights off of her ankles, tossing them into the water. "I'm a woman in a world where men rule everything, even me. How can I do anything to prevent what the gods and my father commands?" she said. She looked down at me with amazement that I didn't know such knowledge. But I'm a deity that follows my mother's rules; my father listens to my mother over his father whenever possible. I've grown up to the idea that women were equal to men on all counts…and this girl was telling me otherwise.

"Just disobey." I said simply as I stood to join her. She only looked at me as if I was mad and scoffed.

"Well you obviously don't know how it feels to be a woman." She stated and started for her horse. I couldn't help but smile, she was amazing. "And now because of you…I don't think I'll ever go swimming again. That was terrifying," I laughed as she jumped onto her horse.

"Then you better watch out for the reflection pools in the temples." I said as I too jumped onto Pegasus. She looked at me as if the furies were flying from her eyes. I laughed, ducking as she tossed one of her sandals at me.

"You louse!" she cried out, only to kick her horse and ride off back to Athens. Pegusus and I just sat there in amused awe, only to realize we once again lost this suicidal princess in our foolishness. Pegasus quickly dawned his wings and we flew in the air and tracked her and her strong war horse back to her palace, and we were glad to know that she did indeed arrive at home safly. That way at least her parents would protect her…but then I remembered, her parents were the ones that were going to sacrifice her next month to begin with. And I had to do something about it….I had to stop it.

I followed my heart and foolishly went to the palace and asked for work. I started in the stables, where each day at noon Andromeda would come out of the palace to ride that large war horse of hers, and each day I would be asked to ride with her. She requested that I remained miles behind, so no one saw her riding with a peasant stable hand. I agreed, using Pegausus to my advantage and would fly high and make sure she wasn't going off to kill herself. She was being good about it, instead of going off to kill herself; she went off to help the peasants that lived in the town below her hilly palace.

The more I rode with her, the more I realized just how beautiful she was, and not her physical beauty. She was kind to others, she thought of every one other then herself, she even helped a laboring peasent give birth; she was always in the right place at the rigt time, and as far as I could see, I didn't know why any one would let her get in dangers way. Slowly she let me ride closer to her, until I would be riding beside her talking with her and enjoying each others company. Soon, we became to close. I went out to the stable to find her waiting for me, only it was late in the night and the moon was high in the sky. She was leaning against the stall wall, a sad expression on her beautiful face. We had become close enough that when I saw her saddened face, I was able to wrap my arms around her, and she folded in my arms.

"Andromeda…beautiful, what's wrong?" I asked as she softly started to cry. She wiped her tears away and looked up at me, the tears soon being replaced by newer ones.

"Perseus…next week…" she choked. I had no idea what she was saying. "Next week I'm to be sacrificed." The words struck me like a knife, in the next week…she would be gone…I couldn't let that happen.

"No, I wont let them," I said, I held her close, kissing the top of her head. I wasn't going to lose her. I was surprised just how quickly my mission to protect this girl had turned into me being completely head over heals for this girl, and now she was going to be taken away from me?

"There's nothing you can do." She sighed against my chest.

"I'll do something any way."

"What can you do, it's not like you're a god," she said softly as she embraced me. I bit my lip, I was a god, I was able to do something. I could contact my father and ask him to convince the king to change his mind. But knowing my father, he would have tried that, and there would have been no other reason to send me down here if he hadn't already tried and failed. My mind was reeling; I had to think of something. And strange how quickly it struck me.

"Run away with me,"


End file.
